Recent articles by Frank Shafroth from governing.comhttp://www.governing.com/authors/rss/rss/?a=221658671
Frank Shafroth is the director of the Center for State and Local Government Leadership at George Mason University.The Unfolding Fiscal Disaster That Is Chicagohttp://www.governing.com/gov-institute/voices/col-chicago-unfolding-fiscal-disaster.html
In many ways, its challenges are more serious than Detroit's, threatening its aspirations to be a global city.The Unforeseen Fiscal Challenges of Uber-Like Serviceshttp://www.governing.com/columns/public-money/gov-uber-unforeseen-fiscal-challenges.html
On-demand services like Uber and Airbnb will force state and local governments to rethink taxes, zoning and retirement.Ebola Scare Highlights the Uncertain Costs of a Pandemichttp://www.governing.com/columns/public-money/gov-the-costs-of-a-pandemic.html
Questions loom about who will pay for the fallout of a national health crisis and what kind of impact it could have on credit ratings.States Struggle to Contain Firefighting Costshttp://www.governing.com/columns/public-money/gov-containing-firefighting-costs.html
As fire departments’ costs have increased in recent years, their volunteers have drastically dropped.The Secret Tax Explosionhttp://www.governing.com/columns/public-money/col-secret-tax-explosion.html
Special districts are growing like weeds—and raising tax burdens as they proliferate.Fracking's Financial Losers: Local Governmentshttp://www.governing.com/columns/public-money/gov-frackings-financial-losers.html
Localities are forced to deal with much of the problems associated with fracking, while states and the federal government rake in all the revenue. Judges: The True Pension Referees in Bankruptcy Caseshttp://www.governing.com/columns/public-money/gov-judge-as-pension-referee.html
When a city is bankrupt, judges have a big say in whose bills will be paid. For now, all eyes are on Detroit and San Bernardino, Calif.The Risks States Take for Their Distressed Citieshttp://www.governing.com/gov-institute/voices/col-states-wall-street-credit-risk-distressed-localities-municipal-bankruptcy.html
Wall Street can be hard on a state that moves to keep its local governments solvent or help them through bankruptcy. But it's a chance that some states have decided is worth taking.Can Governments Give the People What They Want?http://www.governing.com/columns/public-money/gov-balancing-act.html
It’s not that governments don’t want to give the public the services they demand, it’s that they increasingly can’t afford to -- even by raising taxes.Why Cities Can’t Go Bankrupt in Canada or Germany http://www.governing.com/columns/public-money/gov-municipal-debt-traps-nein.html
There’s a lot America can learn from these two countries about how to avert municipal bankruptcies.Distressed Localities and the Growing Role of the Stateshttp://www.governing.com/gov-institute/voices/col-distressed-local-government-state-aid-growing-role.html
Smart state leaders are recognizing that it costs a lot less to keep a struggling city, county or school district out of trouble in the first place.Double Whammyhttp://www.governing.com/columns/public-money/gov-double-whammy.html
Confronting social inequality is harder when a city is struggling.The Daunting Costs of Municipal Bankruptcyhttp://www.governing.com/gov-institute/voices/The-Daunting-Costs-of-Municipal-Bankruptcy.html
It's always going to be expensive, but getting it right is critical.An Extraordinary Effort to Build a Future for Detroithttp://www.governing.com/gov-institute/voices/col-detroit-bankruptcy-sustainable-future-steven-rhodes-rick-snyder.html
The diverse group of people dealing with the city's bankruptcy could teach Washington a lot about collaboration and creativity.The Reality of Secession: Breaking Up Is Hard to Dohttp://www.governing.com/gov-institute/voices/col-colorado-county-secession-rural-urban-governance.html
Colorado's county secession movement was sparked by a growing disconnect between rural and urban areas. Rather than forming a new state, it might make more sense to try to deal with that disconnect.